Antony and Cleopatra

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Enter CAESAR, with
AGRIPPA, DOLABELLA,
MAECENAS, GALLUS, and
PROCULEIUS, and his council of
war

CAESAR enters with his war council:
AGRIPPA, DOLABELLA,
MAECENAS, GALLUS, and
PROCULEIUS.

CAESAR

Go to him, Dolabella, bid him yield.

Being so frustrate, tell him, he mocks

The pauses that he makes.

CAESAR

Dolabella, go see Antony. Tell him to surrender. His position is
hopeless. This delay makes him look ridiculous.

DOLABELLA

Caesar, I
shall.

DOLABELLA

Right away, Caesar.

Exit

DOLABELLA
exits.

Enter DERCETUS, with the sword of
ANTONY

DECRETUS enters carrying
ANTONY’s sword.

5

CAESAR

Wherefore is that? And what art thou that dar’st

Appear thus to us?

CAESAR

What are you doing with a sword? Who do you think you are coming
in here armed?

10

DERCETUS

I am called Dercetus.

Mark Antony I served, who best was worthy

Best to be served. Whilst he stood up and spoke,

He was my master, and I wore my life

To spend upon his haters. If thou please

To take me to thee, as I was to him

I’ll be to Caesar. If thou pleasest not,

I yield thee up my life.

DECRETUS

My name is Decretus. I served Mark Antony, who was the commander
most worthy of my services. While he was alive, I lived only to
serve him and oppose his enemies. If you accept my service, I’ll
serve you the same way. If not, you can kill me.

CAESAR

What is ’t thou
say’st?

CAESAR

What are you saying?

DERCETUS

I say, O Caesar, Antony is dead.

DECRETUS

Caesar, I’m telling you that Antony is dead.

15

CAESAR

The breaking of so great a thing should make

A greater crack. The round world

Should have shook lions into civil streets

And citizens to their dens. The death of Antony

Is not a single doom. In the name lay

A moiety of the world.

CAESAR

When such a great man dies there should be a thunderclap. The
fractured world, in its confusion, should send lions into the city
streets and humans into the wilderness to live in lions’ dens. This
isn’t the death of one man. It’s the death of half the world.